Lock-nut.



G. E. CROWLEY.

Loox NUT. 'APPLICATION FILED .IULYZI,I IBIS.

1,216,954. 4 Y Patented Feb. 20,1917. MF 1 5*-5- r I r11." l

ILL

T il STES f GEORGE CROWLEY, OF BATH, SYU'IIE-Iv CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO M. W.

PERRY, OF BATH, SOUTH CAROLINA.

LOCK-NUT.

4 Application led July 25, 1916. Serial No. 111,235.

To all fw/"wm t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. CROWLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bath, in the county of Aiken and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Nuts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in- Other objects will appear and be betterA understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a speciication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved mt 1lock, showing the same associated with a o t Y Figi 2 is a section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken through the nut, and showing the position assumed by the locking element when the nut is receiving retrograde rotation, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the main Eoly portion of the nut removed from the Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the improved nut lock, illustrating a protective cap applied to the outer terminal thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail,the numeral 1 designates a bolt having a threaded portion 2. The improved nut is designated as an entirety by the numeral 3, and consists of a main body portion 4 having a threaded bore therein for the reception of the threaded portion 2 on the bolt 1. An outer cylindrical extension 5 is carried by the outer edge of the outer face of the main body portion 4, and the said outer face of the main body portion 4 has formed therein a groove 6. Y

A locking section 7 is located within the cylindrical extension 5 and has a threaded central bore therein registering with the bore in the potrion 4, for the reception of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1, and theunder side of the section 7 has a groove 8 formed therein which registers with the groove 6 in the outer face of the main body portion 4, the saidY registering grooves 6 and 8 forming a race for the accommodation of bearing balls 9. The locking section 7 is provided, at a point adjacent the outer end thereof, with an annular groove 10. A

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patentd Feb. 20, 1917.

circular springll fits within the annular groove 10, and has one end secured behind a shoulder 12 formed on the inner face of the'extension 5, adjacent the outer end thereof, and the said spring has its outer end bearing againstl a pin 13 projecting laterally from the inner wall of the groove 10 and has its outer end extended through al slot 14 formed in the side of the extension4.

A spring guard plate 17 is-fastened at one end by a rivet or equivalent means adjacent one terminal of the slot 1 4 and completely covers the latter to exclude dust and moisture from the interior of the nut lock. Adjacent its free terminal, the guard plate 17 is bulged outwardly to permit free oscillatory movement of the pin 13 and adjacent its anchored end, the plate is formed with a boss 19 defining a depression or cavity in the inner surface thereof adapted to receive the outer terminal of the pin 13 to lock the sections 4 and 7 in adjusted relative position.

After the locking section 7 is positioned within the'extension 5 the outer end of the extension is bent inwardly, as at 15, so as to provide a flange which overlies the outer end of the locking section 7 and helps to retain the locking section 7 within the extension 5.

When the various parts of the nut are assembled, the spring 11 forces the pin 13 toward that end of thelslot 14 which is located adjacent the shoulder 12. In mounting the nut on the bolt, the bores of the body portion 4 and section 7 of the nut receive the threaded portion 2 on the bolt and the nut is then screwed home in the ordinary manner. If an attempt be made to give the body portion 4 retrograde rotation cause a binding section on the bearing balls 9 and alsov cause the threads on the walls of the bores in the sections 4 and 7 to bind the threaded portion of the bolt, and prevent retrograde rotation of the sections. It will be noted that the spring 11 is constantly exerting oppositely directed rotative forces on the sections 4 and 7.

In order to remove the entire nut lock from a bolt, a specially constructed type of Spanner wrench (not shown) is applied to the recesses 16 in the section 7 and the latter is rotated so as to recede from the section 4,

thus moving the pin 13 and engaging the terminal of the latter in the cavity defined by the boss 19 and consequently locking the two sections in adjusted position so as to permit the entire nut lock to be rotated by a suitable type of wrench and removed from the bolt. In order to relock the nut lock subsequent to the adjustment thereof, the outer terminal of the spring guard plate 17 is flexed, thus releasing the pin 13 and permitting the section 7 to move to locked position with relation to the section 4 under the influence of the spring 11.

Referring to the modification of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, the cylindrical extension 5 of the body 1 is formed withv external screw threads on which is fitted a cap 20 which completely incloses the outer terminalV of the nut lock including the spring guard plate 17 which, in this in-k stance, is countersunk in the cylindrical eX- tension 5 to permit the cap 20 to be applied to the nut lock. Y

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from'the spirit or scope of the invention: hence, I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure hereindescribed and claimed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is:

1. A. nut formed of a pair of sections having alined bolt-receiving bores, a hollow extension formed on one of the sections and engaging over the other section and providedv with a slot, the said last-mentioned section of the nut having a groove therein communicating with the slot in the extension, means carried by the inner surface of Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the extension and located adjacent one end of the slot, a pin projecting from the inner Wall of the groove in the last-mentioned section of the bolt and extending through the slot in the extension, and a spring positioned within the groove in the last-mentioned section of the nut and having its respective opposite ends engaging the means on the extension and the finger on the last-mentioned section of the nut, for the purpose specified.

2. A. nut formed of a pair of sections each having alined bolt-receiving bores therein and having their opposed faces provided with registering grooves to provide a race, bearing balls positioned within the race, and means associated with the sections for exerting oppositely directed rotative forces thereon, for the purpose specified.

3. In combination, a bolt, a nut fitted thereon, and including Vtwo sections, means normally exerting oppositely directed rotative forces on the sections for locking the latter on the bolt, one of the sections having` a circumferential slot, a pin carried by the other section movable in said slot, and a spring bolt guard covering the said slot and having a depression therein adapted to receive said pin to lock the sections in released position.

4. In combination, a bolt, a nut associated with the bolt and formed of sections having alined bolt-receiving bores, means for rotating one nut section with relation to the other to effect the locking of the nut upon the bolt, and means for limiting the longitudinal movement of one section with respect to the other section.

5. In combination, a bolt, a nut associated with the bolt and formed of sections having alined bolt-receiving bores, means for rotating one section with relation to the other to effect the locking of the nut upon the bolt, and anti-friction bearing elements located between the nut sections.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature Vin presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. CROWLEY.

Witnesses:

HENRY G. ROGERS, EDWIN F. IIARRIsoN.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

